- Mar 13, 2024
- 8,597
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Dollywood theme park is slowly capturing our hearts! The beloved theme park in the Smoky Mountains is home to some amazing coasters and all things Dolly Parton.
Let’s talk Dollywood!
If you don’t know, the park has also started doing different festivals throughout the year! Right now, you can check out the Flower and Food Festival from April 18 until June 7th. We tried a bunch of these festival eats, and we’re bringing you our FULL reviews!
We started off over on Showstreet with a little something sweet. At Spotlight Bakery (home to the famous apple pie), we tried out 3 of the festival items! First, we grabbed the Lavender Dreams Cupcake for $8.79.
The Lavender Dream Cupcake
This cupcake was pretty surprising. The lavender comes in the flavor of the cake, but it isn’t overwhelming. The floral flavor is subtle, but if you’re floral averse, you might think this has a slight spray of perfume. The cake itself was super moist and light with a slight lemon tang, which paired nicely with the lavender. There was also a nice crust on the outside layer of the cake that we loved.
Such a pretty butterfly!
The icing was a buttercream icing that had the classic sweet, subtle taste. The pearls on top added a nice crunch, but they weren’t too hard. Next, we had the Black Forest Cupcake for $8.79. This cupcake was pretty different from the other! It still had that soft, fluffy cake with a slight crust on the outside. The cake was great for chocolate lovers because it had a very rich, chocolate-forward flavor.
The Black Forest Cupcake
There was a cherry filling inside that reminded us of a pie filling texturally. It was a sweet maraschino cherry that we thought made this good cupcake into a great one. The frosting was super soft and light, and it was lightly lined with a cherry syrup. It was easily our favorite part. The cupcake was surprisingly complex!
It was delicious!
Finally, we got a Butterfly Sugar Cookie! This cookie was a big hit with the team. We had low expectations, but we would go back for this time and time again. The cookie was soft, buttery, and sugary. It was easily torn in half, and our teeth sank right in. The icing was soft and not hard like we anticipated it to be. It was a sweet, subtle flavor that we think works with the cookie to make a seriously underrated snack.
The Butterfly Sugar Cookie
After that, we went over to Market Square BIG SKILLET in Rivertown Junction! If you’ve ever been to Dollywood, you know just how good it smells in this area. We started with the Sausage and Rice Skillet for $14.99!
The Sausage and Rice Skillet
This was easily our favorite bite at this spot. While it wasn’t the most visually appealing, it was absolutely delicious. The rice was perfectly cooked, so it was soft but not mushy. The sausage was easily the star of the show thanks to all of the herbs inside. It was cooked perfectly, so it had a small snap, but it was savory and herbaceous. The vegetables in the middle were bright and added a refreshing complexity that made this hearty meal super flavorful. It wasn’t reinventing the wheel, but it did a classic meal well.
We loved this!
Next, we grabbed the Pork Belly Bowl for $13.99! This was nearly perfect, but it just fell short. The pork belly was cooked perfectly, so it had a good shape, but it was still moist and fatty. It wasn’t overly chewy, but if you don’t like a fatty texture, you probably won’t like this. The cucumber salad was sweet and added a nice crunch that we liked. If you’re used to Asian cucumber salads, this one won’t be as flavorful, but it was on the sweeter side, which helped cut through the salty pork belly.
The Pork Belly Bowl
This dish fell short due to the rice. It was overcooked and mushy, despite the flavors being nice. It reminded us of the vegetable fried frozen rice from Trader Joe’s, which isn’t a bad thing, but it wasn’t what we were hoping for. The toppings were still worth the bite, but the rice was a sad addition.
A closer look!
Finally, at this spot, we grabbed the Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese for $13.99. This was definitely our least favorite of the three bowls. The noodles were seriously overcooked, making them mushy and not a very pleasant experience. Luckily, the cheese was a saving grace! It was a white cheddar that was creamy, mild, and buttery.
The Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese
The chicken was another letdown in our book. It was fine, although it was a bit on the dry side. It reminded us of precooked chicken you can grab at the store. The sauce on the chicken leaned more honey than hot. This made the chicken sweeter, which balanced well with the savory cheese. This might be a safe “adventurous” food for picky eaters wanting to try something new, but we would probably skip next time.
A closer look!
For our last festival food booth, we stopped by Trailhead Eats! This spot has rotating festival eats and we tried all three options.
The menu!
The Braised Beef Potato was $13.99! This potato really surprised us. The potato itself was on the colder side, and it was slightly undercooked. It was still fork-tender, but it wasn’t super soft. That being said, the toppings really made up for it. The cheese was mild and flavorful, and mixed beautifully with the loads of braised beef below it.
The Braised Beef Potato
The beef was savory and slightly moist. The tomatoes added some nice acidity and brightness. The chimichuri on top was the real star. It added a great herbaceous flavor along with a nice amount of garlic. Once this was all mixed together, it created a hearty and comforting meal.
Those toppings were delicious!
Next was the Pesto Caprese Sandwich for $12.99. Talk about simply delicious! This sandwich has a nice, subtle mozzarella cheese that was moist and easy to bite into. The tomato was fresh and added a subtle acidity to the rest of the meal. The basil was also fresh, which was slightly minty and peppery.
The Pesto Caprese Sandwich
On the side, there was a dipping sauce that was similar to a gazpacho. It was light and thin but had a nice tomato flavor. It also had tons of herbs that made it feel more complex. The soft bread really held it all together to make a nice, easy meal.
A look at the sandwich!
Finally, we grabbed the Honey BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich for $12.99! This was the epitome of sweet barbecue. The bun was soft and fluffy, so it served as a great vessel for all of that delicious pulled pork. The pulled pork was easily pulled apart, not dry, and it had several fatty bites that melted in our mouths.
The Honey BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
The honey barbecue was slightly thick and sweet, while still maintaining the caramelized flavor you can expect from a good barbecue sauce. There was SO much meat and sauce that we had some deliciously sticky fingers by the time it was done. On the bottom, there were a few bread and butter pickles that added a crunchy and acidic bite.
Look at all that sauce!
We were HUGE fans of Dollywood’s Flower and Food Festival thanks to the delicious snacks and gorgeous topiaries. We can’t wait to share even more from our trip to the Smokies, so be sure to stay tuned with Magical Guides for more.
Which would you try? Tell us in the comments!
Let’s talk Dollywood!
If you don’t know, the park has also started doing different festivals throughout the year! Right now, you can check out the Flower and Food Festival from April 18 until June 7th. We tried a bunch of these festival eats, and we’re bringing you our FULL reviews!
We started off over on Showstreet with a little something sweet. At Spotlight Bakery (home to the famous apple pie), we tried out 3 of the festival items! First, we grabbed the Lavender Dreams Cupcake for $8.79.
The Lavender Dream Cupcake
This cupcake was pretty surprising. The lavender comes in the flavor of the cake, but it isn’t overwhelming. The floral flavor is subtle, but if you’re floral averse, you might think this has a slight spray of perfume. The cake itself was super moist and light with a slight lemon tang, which paired nicely with the lavender. There was also a nice crust on the outside layer of the cake that we loved.
Such a pretty butterfly!
The icing was a buttercream icing that had the classic sweet, subtle taste. The pearls on top added a nice crunch, but they weren’t too hard. Next, we had the Black Forest Cupcake for $8.79. This cupcake was pretty different from the other! It still had that soft, fluffy cake with a slight crust on the outside. The cake was great for chocolate lovers because it had a very rich, chocolate-forward flavor.
The Black Forest Cupcake
There was a cherry filling inside that reminded us of a pie filling texturally. It was a sweet maraschino cherry that we thought made this good cupcake into a great one. The frosting was super soft and light, and it was lightly lined with a cherry syrup. It was easily our favorite part. The cupcake was surprisingly complex!
It was delicious!
Finally, we got a Butterfly Sugar Cookie! This cookie was a big hit with the team. We had low expectations, but we would go back for this time and time again. The cookie was soft, buttery, and sugary. It was easily torn in half, and our teeth sank right in. The icing was soft and not hard like we anticipated it to be. It was a sweet, subtle flavor that we think works with the cookie to make a seriously underrated snack.
The Butterfly Sugar Cookie
After that, we went over to Market Square BIG SKILLET in Rivertown Junction! If you’ve ever been to Dollywood, you know just how good it smells in this area. We started with the Sausage and Rice Skillet for $14.99!
The Sausage and Rice Skillet
This was easily our favorite bite at this spot. While it wasn’t the most visually appealing, it was absolutely delicious. The rice was perfectly cooked, so it was soft but not mushy. The sausage was easily the star of the show thanks to all of the herbs inside. It was cooked perfectly, so it had a small snap, but it was savory and herbaceous. The vegetables in the middle were bright and added a refreshing complexity that made this hearty meal super flavorful. It wasn’t reinventing the wheel, but it did a classic meal well.
We loved this!
Next, we grabbed the Pork Belly Bowl for $13.99! This was nearly perfect, but it just fell short. The pork belly was cooked perfectly, so it had a good shape, but it was still moist and fatty. It wasn’t overly chewy, but if you don’t like a fatty texture, you probably won’t like this. The cucumber salad was sweet and added a nice crunch that we liked. If you’re used to Asian cucumber salads, this one won’t be as flavorful, but it was on the sweeter side, which helped cut through the salty pork belly.
The Pork Belly Bowl
This dish fell short due to the rice. It was overcooked and mushy, despite the flavors being nice. It reminded us of the vegetable fried frozen rice from Trader Joe’s, which isn’t a bad thing, but it wasn’t what we were hoping for. The toppings were still worth the bite, but the rice was a sad addition.
A closer look!
Finally, at this spot, we grabbed the Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese for $13.99. This was definitely our least favorite of the three bowls. The noodles were seriously overcooked, making them mushy and not a very pleasant experience. Luckily, the cheese was a saving grace! It was a white cheddar that was creamy, mild, and buttery.
The Hot Honey BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese
The chicken was another letdown in our book. It was fine, although it was a bit on the dry side. It reminded us of precooked chicken you can grab at the store. The sauce on the chicken leaned more honey than hot. This made the chicken sweeter, which balanced well with the savory cheese. This might be a safe “adventurous” food for picky eaters wanting to try something new, but we would probably skip next time.
A closer look!
For our last festival food booth, we stopped by Trailhead Eats! This spot has rotating festival eats and we tried all three options.
The menu!
The Braised Beef Potato was $13.99! This potato really surprised us. The potato itself was on the colder side, and it was slightly undercooked. It was still fork-tender, but it wasn’t super soft. That being said, the toppings really made up for it. The cheese was mild and flavorful, and mixed beautifully with the loads of braised beef below it.
The Braised Beef Potato
The beef was savory and slightly moist. The tomatoes added some nice acidity and brightness. The chimichuri on top was the real star. It added a great herbaceous flavor along with a nice amount of garlic. Once this was all mixed together, it created a hearty and comforting meal.
Those toppings were delicious!
Next was the Pesto Caprese Sandwich for $12.99. Talk about simply delicious! This sandwich has a nice, subtle mozzarella cheese that was moist and easy to bite into. The tomato was fresh and added a subtle acidity to the rest of the meal. The basil was also fresh, which was slightly minty and peppery.
The Pesto Caprese Sandwich
On the side, there was a dipping sauce that was similar to a gazpacho. It was light and thin but had a nice tomato flavor. It also had tons of herbs that made it feel more complex. The soft bread really held it all together to make a nice, easy meal.
A look at the sandwich!
Finally, we grabbed the Honey BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich for $12.99! This was the epitome of sweet barbecue. The bun was soft and fluffy, so it served as a great vessel for all of that delicious pulled pork. The pulled pork was easily pulled apart, not dry, and it had several fatty bites that melted in our mouths.
The Honey BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
The honey barbecue was slightly thick and sweet, while still maintaining the caramelized flavor you can expect from a good barbecue sauce. There was SO much meat and sauce that we had some deliciously sticky fingers by the time it was done. On the bottom, there were a few bread and butter pickles that added a crunchy and acidic bite.
Look at all that sauce!
We were HUGE fans of Dollywood’s Flower and Food Festival thanks to the delicious snacks and gorgeous topiaries. We can’t wait to share even more from our trip to the Smokies, so be sure to stay tuned with Magical Guides for more.
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Which would you try? Tell us in the comments!
